| ![Show Contents]() Downy History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Etymology of DownyWhat does the name Downy mean? Gaelic, otherwise known as Early Modern Irish, was used in Ireland from around the year 1200 until the 18th century. It is from this language that we found the first references to the name Downy as Ó Dúnadhaigh. The name is essentially derived from the word dún which means fort. 1 Early Origins of the Downy familyThe surname Downy was first found in the twelfth century. Early History of the Downy familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Downy research. Another 189 words (14 lines of text) covering the year 1420 is included under the topic Early Downy History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Downy Spelling VariationsThe recording of names in Ireland during the Middle Ages was an inconsistent endeavor at best. Since the general population did not know how to read or write, they could only specify how their names should be recorded orally. Research into the name Downy revealed spelling variations, including O'Downey, Dawney, MacDowney, MacEldowney, Muldowney and many more. Early Notables of the Downy familyNotable among the family name at this time was the O'Dunadhaigh sept found in Luchair, the old name of a region that lay on the borders of...
Another 26 words (2 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Downy Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
| Downy migration to the United States | + |
In the 19th century, thousands of Irish left their English-occupied homeland for North America. Like most new world settlers, the Irish initially settled on the eastern shores of the continent but began to move westward with the promise of owning land. The height of this Irish migration came during the Great Potato Famine of the late 1840s. With apparently nothing to lose, Irish people left on ships bound for North America and Australia. Unfortunately a great many of these passengers lost their lives - the only thing many had left - to disease, starvation, and accidents during the long and dangerous journey. Those who did safely arrive in "the land of opportunities" were often used for the hard labor of building railroads, coal mines, bridges, and canals. The Irish were critical to the quick development of the infrastructure of the United States and Canada. Passenger and immigration lists indicate that members of the Downy family came to North America quite early:
Downy Settlers in United States in the 18th Century- Christian Downy, aged 25, who landed in North Carolina in 1774 2
Downy Settlers in United States in the 19th Century- James Downy, aged 46, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
- Michael Downy, aged 30, who landed in Delaware in 1812 2
- Patrick Downy, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 2
- Alexander Downy, aged 36, who arrived in Barnstable, Massachusetts in 1821 2
- John Downy, who landed in New York in 1832 2
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
| Downy migration to Canada | + |
Some of the first settlers of this family name were: Downy Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century- John Downy, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1831
- Catherine Downy, who landed in Nova Scotia in 1839
- Catherine Downy, who arrived in Nova Scotia in 1840
| Downy migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Downy Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. Finlay Downy, (b. 1796), aged 23, Irish cotton spinner who was convicted in Antrim, Northern Ireland for 7 years, transported aboard the "Castle Forbes" on 3rd October 1819, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3
- MacLysaght, Edward, The Surnames of Ireland. Ireland: Irish Academic Press, sixth edition, 1985. Print. (ISBN 0-7165-2366-3)
- Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 17th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/castle-forbes
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